TAMPA — It was game time Tuesday at One Buc Place, but football was the last thing on the mind of new starting quarterback Josh Johnson as he took hold of a plastic guitar and Joan Jett's I Love Rock N' Roll blasted through the auditorium.
"I can't do Guitar Hero, man; it looks too hard!" he said with a laugh, fumbling for the correct fingerings on the neck.
But Qatar Hero might have been a better name on this day.
Soldiers from a U.S. base in Qatar — on leave from the brutal battlefields of Iraq — were beamed in live via satellite on a big projection screen up front. And they were busy following the lead of recent Bucs opponents: piling up the points.
Of course, this competition was all in the name of supporting the troops. Staged by a company named Pro vs. GI Joe, a handful of Bucs spent two hours on their day off playing video games with the armed forces — including desert warfare with Call of Duty and John Madden's pro football game.
Several dozen military men and women from MacDill Air Force Base attended the event, mingling with a lineup of Bucs that included Johnson, Elbert Mack, Clifton Smith, Adam Hayward, E.J. Biggers, Roy Miller, Kyle Moore and Dre Moore, and a handful of other players who popped in to watch.
The Bucs got off to a rough start in Guitar Hero's hard-rock Smash Hits edition even with the help of several Bucs cheerleaders who provided vocal support.
"Tell 'em to play an R&B song, something nice and slow so I can get my rhythm," said Johnson, a day after being elevated to starting quarterback.
Instead, Pro vs. GI Joe's Greg Zinone selected Twisted Sister's blaring I Wanna Rock.
"Hey, you're setting me up to fail!" protested Mack, doing his best to keep up with the beat on the plastic drum set.
Fortunately, Pro Bowl return man Smith — a credible drummer — arrived in time to take over for Mack, who gladly took over as vocalist.
Alas, the spirited Bucs ensemble was no match for the military when Heart's Barracuda began shaking the room, losing a 49,000-47,000 lead in mid tune to finish 20,000 points behind.
"Hey, we don't like that song!" yelled Hayward with a smile. "They don't have any hip-hop on here. That's why we stink."
Conversation among the Bucs and the soldiers on the screen was minimal because of logistics and high-decibel games. But friendly banter was exchanged via a small speaker next to a laptop with a Webcam. There were a few poignant moments, too.
Inside the auditorium, Frank and Bobbie Puleo of Tampa beamed at the big screen, watching their son, Air Force Capt. Tony Puleo, hold his own in Guitar Hero. To them — and daughter Cynthia, also in attendance — he's a hero, period.
"It's so great to see him up there smiling," said Bobbie, eyes tearing up.
In between games, she and Cynthia spoke to Tony briefly, and he talked later about the event, which included several hundred soldiers watching the live feed inside a Qatar USO hall.
"It's pretty cool to have a chance to spend some time with pro football players," he said. "And it's great to see my family."
The same went for Staff Sgt. Walter Simpson, who waved to girlfriend Lauren Brown and blew kisses to his 1-year-old daughter, Kamille — as Call of Duty games played out on three screens with no discernible winner.
"It feels good to spend time with these guys today, because what they do allows me to come to work every day," Johnson said. "We want them to know how much we appreciate them."
Johnson answered the call to duty for the final activity, taking the controls in Madden 2010. He played the role of rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford of the Lions, while Staff Sgt. Derek Shennett — in the audience — handled the host Eagles.
And in perhaps a good omen for his 0-3 team, Johnson pulled off an upset 28-21 — all part of the fun in a day at One Buc that went far beyond football.
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